Let us encourage one another to defend and promote peace, freedom, social justice and moral values for the good of all: Pope Francis
Selvaraj Soosaimanikam – Vatican
This Friday, November 3, Pope Francis Sahir addressed the members of the Council of Muslim Elders at the Mosque of the Royal Palace.
God is the fountain of peace
God is the source of peace. May He help us to be instruments of His peace everywhere! Here, in your presence, I reiterate that the God of Peace never brings war, never incites hatred, never supports violence. I have come among you as a believer in God, as a brother, and as a pilgrim of peace. I have come among you to walk together in the way of St. Francis of Assisi, who said, “Whenever you proclaim peace with your mouth, make sure that there is more peace in your hearts.” I want us to meet each other more, to know each other, to respect each other, to put forward realistic thoughts, to put aside our differences and focus more on heavenly good things. Before God, who is the source of peace, we must overcome misconceptions and misunderstandings and work toward a future of brotherhood rather than a past of enmity. Let us encourage each other to protect and promote peace, freedom, social justice and moral values for the benefit of all.
Work in a spirit of brotherhood
Beloved friends, brothers of Abraham and believers in one God, let us realize that all the social, global economic and personal evils, as well as the dangerous environmental crises of our time that we are witnessing here today, are due to our alienation from God and our neighbors. To help mankind rediscover the forgotten origins of life, to guide men and women who have drunk from the wells of ancient wisdom, and to help believers to worship the God of heaven, it becomes our primary duty, each one of us to work in brotherly consciousness. We can do this only through devotion and brotherhood. These are modern and active weapons. Many painful things happen around us. Let us take as examples the sufferings of migrants and refugees. Their work ethic and sense of brotherhood will help them solve their problems.
Let’s prove it with actions
Above all, bearing witness with our actions is more important than mere words. And let us realize that our responsibility before God and before mankind is great. It becomes necessary to follow what we teach and to live exemplary lives in the society and families in which we live. What does human mean? The true meaning of life can be seen only when each of us raises questions in the depths of our hearts and thinks why the sufferings, evils, injustices and deaths happen here. So with these in mind, let us support each other and continue our meeting today for dialogue. Let’s travel together! May the living Lord bless us all!